TEL AVIV
Visit I am a Zionist Artist in the Land of Israel, an extensive exhibition honoring the memory of Dan Zakheim marking 28 years to his death from AIDS. He was 35 years old.
Zakheim was one of the early artists to use performance art here and a new documentary film about his fictional political party, Babel, which mock-ran during the 1984 elections, will be screened at Comme Il Faut (23 Hanger, Tel Aviv Harbor) as part of the exhibition curated by Liav Mizrahi.
Using the biblical tale about the tower of Babel as a jumping board, the party ran with the slogan of “treat one another as burnt bricks to build a tower, so that we may disperse across the land.”
A special cloth, sewed together from various works by Zakheim and used for a special farewell meal held two years prior to his death, will be presented as well. Fashion lovers might consider supporting the radical, secular values of the artist by buying clothes inspired by him created by the fashion house for this exhibition. Admission is free. Opening Hours are Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6 – Attend a 10 a.m. Hebrew discussion about The Tel Hai Events, here meaning a series of discussions about Israeli art held in the 1980s and 1990s at Tel Hai, and how they left an impact on local sculptors. Shlomit Bauman (Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center) will honor her parents, the late Ilana and Tuli, who were a vital force behind the original 1980s meetings as well as key figures in the launch of Studio art magazine. Other speakers include Anat Lidror (The Givat Haviva Shared Art Center) and Udi Edelman (The Center for Digital Art Holon). Admission is free after preregistration. 10 Hever Hale’umim Street, Tel Aviv, Phone 052-646-0880 to book. Event ends at 1 p.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 – Attend an 11 a.m.-Hebrew-language guided tour of Local Testimony with curator Leah Abir at the large exhibition currently on offer at MUSA (Eretz Israel Museum Tel Aviv). It showcases some of the best talents working in photojournalism locally and internationally today. This is the 19th annual edition of the festival and 57 photographers were picked out of the 353 who applied. Come see some of the best visual moments depicting the complex realities in this land and its peoples.
NIS 52 per adult. The guided tour with Abir is included in the admission fee, preregister at (03) 641-5244. The museum is located at 2 Haim Levanon Street, Ramat Aviv. For more information, see: www.eretzmuseum.org.il/e/
RAMAT GAN
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15 – Attend a special Hebrew and English discussion on the works of artist Larry Abramson held at Shenkar Art School (8 Yeda Am Street, The Mitchell Building, Auditorium 2000) starting at 9:30 a.m. this will be a seven-hours long series of discussions and lectures honoring four decades of teaching and lecturing about art as well as Abramson’s retirement.
Speakers include art historian Dr. Gideon Ofrat, W. J. T. Mitchell (University of Chicago, Department of Art History) and German artist Hans Haacke. Abramson was among the founders of Shenkar College in 2008 and an exhibition of his works titled Symptoms will open that day at Shenkar Bursa Art Gallery, 8 Jabotinsky Street. A special public discussion at Bursa Gallery will be held on Monday, January 27, at 1 p.m. Admission to both events is free.
JERUSALEM
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6 – Attend a noon opening of New Works by David Amir at Jerusalem Theatre (20 Marcus Street). Working in ink on paper to create miniature paper works, Amir had been active in the local art scene for several decades. An artist’s book collection of his works from 1974 to now will be released as part of the exhibition. Shown until February 28, 2023. Opening Hours are Sunday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from nightfall to 11:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 – Listen to Israel Museum conservator Jessica Lewinsky’s 5 p.m. lecture “Art History Takes Place on Paper” as part of the In Print Art Book Fair held at Hansen House. This is the 4th edition of the festival, this year, it includes 65 participants from around the world. Lewinsky will offer, in Hebrew, tips concerning how to preserve your own art book collection. Return on Friday, January 13, to enjoy a 10 a.m. talk by curator Nomi Tannhauser who will share, in Hebrew, “Four Decades of Activism and Feminism in the Capital’s Art Scene.” 14 Gedalyahu Alon Street. Admission is free.
ART NEWS
The art world noted with sorrow the passing of two great painters in the hyperrealistic school last month. Swiss painter Franz Gertsch, age 92, and Jewish-American painter Philip Pearlstein, age 98. Artist Liav Mizrahi noted that one of the reasons the local art scene did not note their passing is that, for roughly three decades, curators and art educators here persisted in claiming realistic painting is a thing of the past. Mizrahi noted that in this country the revival of interest in that school can be linked to the rise of the hi-tech economy and the new desires it begets for status symbols.
Art Roundup is a monthly glance at some of the finest art exhibitions currently being shown across the country. Artists, curators and collectors are welcome to send pitches to hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com with Art Roundup in the email subject.